Does An Employer Need To Provide A Changing Area

[gelfy666]

I work for an international company which employs 300+ staff, twice a year we have the cycle to work scheme and even have a locked bike shed..... but there are no changing facilities for the men to get changed in.
They seem to think its ok for you to get changed in a WC cubicle, which is very small and at 5.30am the floor is normally dirty with oil and splashed with god knows what! not pleasant when your in your balancing in your socks.

Are there any rules or health and safety laws which says we should he a dedicated area?

 

[DrLex]

Depends on your employer's business.

From HSE booklet (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg293.pdf)

"What facilities do I need to provide for changing and storing clothing?

If the work activity requires your employees to change into and wear specialist clothing (overalls, a uniform, thermal clothing etc), then you must provide enough changing rooms for the number of people expected to use them.

Where a changing room is provided it should:

* be readily accessible;I contain, or lead directly to, clothing storage and washing facilities;
* provide seating;
* provide a means for hanging clothes _ a hook or peg may be sufficient;
* ensure the privacy of the user.

Separate use of changing facilities should be available to men and women.

Try to prevent employees’ own clothing coming into contact with work-soiled clothing or getting dirty or wet. Provide separate storage for clean and contaminated clothing which:

* allows wet clothing to be hung up to dry out during the course of the day;
* is well ventilated.

Separate guidance is available from HSE Books on the provision of personal protective equipment (see ‘Find out more’). "

 

[palinurus]

Are there any rules or health and safety laws which says we should he a dedicated area?

Not that I'm aware of, is there some forum at work you could raise the issue in though?

There should be disabled toilets though, they have the advantage of being somewhat larger.

 

[jonny jeez]

As @DrLex says, if you work in a standard office type of place, then no.

Sorry.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Not for commuter cyclists benefit. You could make the green argument or see if there are others who do cycle or (claim they) would who would assist you in petitioning management to do it as goodwill, stsff morale, improved health and wellbeing etc

 

[jonny jeez]

Not for commuter cyclists benefit. You could make the green argument or see if there are others who do cycle or (claim they) would who would assist you in petitioning management to do it as goodwill, stsff morale, improved health and wellbeing etc

You can certainly try that but I would muster some support first, changing rooms cost a fortune to provide, as do showers. They eat up expensive real estate ( costing anywhere between £20 and £150 a sq foot per year, depending on where your office is...that's £4,000 to £30,000 a year) plus the cost to build them and then take them down again at the end of the lease..

Over the term of a 5 year lease, that lot could cost up to £170,000....plus maintenance, heating and cooling...etc

Don't be disappointed if your CFO frowns upon the idea.

Perhaps ask them to pay for local gym membership, it's sometimes cheaper (depending upon take up), is a variable cost and can be invested in smaller chunks

 

[Tynan]

No

I've just found a cupboard only for cyclists to hang up their kit so along with a fresh towel every morning and a nice shower room, it's all good here, the bike gets locked up to a stand on the street mind but it's round the back of the building and been good for a year so far

 

[jonny jeez]

I work for an international company which employs 300+ staff, twice a year we have the cycle to work scheme and even have a locked bike shed..... but there are no changing facilities for the men to get changed in.
They seem to think its ok for you to get changed in a WC cubicle, which is very small and at 5.30am the floor is normally dirty with oil and splashed with god knows what! not pleasant when your in your balancing in your socks.

Are there any rules or health and safety laws which says we should he a dedicated area?

As with my reply above, also the wash rooms your employer is keen for you to uses are "common space" and likely have no rental cost to your employer (just service costs). They are also maintained by the landlord. So it makes financial sense for your employer to encourage you to use them.

Having said all that, your building is likely about 30,000 sq feet in total, so perhaps it may be possible to find a small corner that isn't very useable (can't take desks...look for low ceilings or areas that have odd and restrictive building details like columns that restrict the placement of desks) and ask them to invest in a free standing changing cubicle or two.

 

[gelfy666]

we have room for a changing rooms...... a connecting room to the toilets, approx 30ft x 30ft , we all had lockers in there, but it was cleared out to be an office 6 months ago and since then that idea has been dropped.
Now its just an empty space and management want to do nothing with it.

 

[Mrs M]

We don't even have cycle to work.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

We don't even have cycle to work.

Neither have we, one of the biggest UK company in the sector
I change in the Ladies, or cycle in my uniform.

 

[HLaB]

Unfortunately not, unless its a relatively new building and they've signed up to a travel plan specifically mentioning it or some other condition.

 

[mgarl10024]

It depends if they want to attract and keep the best talent. One of my interview questions is about cycle facilities, and if they don't have them, that's something I take into consideration when weighing up whether to join them.

 

[sionhughes]

It depends if they want to attract and keep the best talent. One of my interview questions is about cycle facilities, and if they don't have them, that's something I take into consideration when weighing up whether to join them.

Cycling talent or talent in the field of work?

 

[Spike on a bike]

Just reading thru this with interest
Not really a problem for those of us at work who cycle in because we have an office sized disabled loo to use

However we do have to change clothes before work and our changing room is unisex and communal with an outside staff entry point with cctv inside looking across the room to the door as were bonded apparently it a legal requirement from customs and excise.